Electronic units and method for packaging and assembly of said electronic units

• US 6,950,312 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2002
• Issued: 09/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Staiger, Dieter E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuneo, Kamand
• Assistant Examiner(s): Phan, Thanh S.
• Application Number:
  US10/255,840
• Publication Number:
  US 20030061696A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,097 Days
• Field of Search: 298/25, 298/27, 29829-832, 298/46, 29739-741, 361/816, 361/818, 361/749, 361/752, 361/790, 361/792, 361/796, 174/660, 174/686, 534/10, 534/29, 534/36, 534/39, 534/43, 534/48, 534/66, 534/62
• US Class Current: 361/752
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/189 characterised by the use of a flexible or folded printed circuit H05K3/326 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49187 with forming eyelet from elongated conductor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4973 Replacing of defective part

Abstract

The present invention discloses method for packaging and assembly of electronic units comprising a multi-planar board system in which each single planar board provides electrical contacts and/or signal drive to its successive planar board via a flexible cable forming the only connection between successive planar boards. In its packaged position the planar boards are laid upon one another without affixing them with each other or affixing them with the housing of the electronic unit, wherein the packaging of the planar boards preferably forming a daisy chain. Positioning and adjusting of the planar boards to each other is mainly achieved by the cover element being wrapped around all surfaces of the planar boards during the packaging process, positioning and clamping of the packaging of the planar boards within the housing is mainly achieved by the self-adapting suspension during the assembly process of the electronic unit into the housing. The cover element separating and concurrently adjusting each planar boards to each other has isolating, stabilizing, heat draining, and flexible attributes. The electronic unit is preferably arranged in a screw-less, and scalable housing.

Claims

1. A method to package electrical units comprising:

providing a plurality of planar electronic circuit boards;

providing a cover element with defined folding points therein wherein said cover element being electrically non-conductive and free of electrical components;

connecting the plurality of planar electronic circuit boards with an electrical conductive member over which electrical signals between boards are being transmitted;

placing a first planar electronic circuit board with its bottom side at a first part of said cover element;

folding said cover element at a defined folding point and placing a first remaining part of said cover element upon the surface of the top side of said first planar board thereby covering the side surface of the first planar board;

placing a second planar board with its bottom side seated on said surface of the first remaining part of said cover element; and

folding another remaining part of said cover element at a further defined point and placing the remaining part of said cover element upon the surface of the top side of said second planar board thereby covering the side surface of said second planar board.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein each of said planar electronic circuit boards includes a system specific entry connector at one side and a pass-on connector at the other side.

3. Packaging according to claim 2, wherein final packaging of said planar electronic circuit boards form a “

daisy chain”

configuration.

4. Packaging according to claim 1, wherein each of said planar electronic circuit boards includes a system specific entry connector and a pass-on connector at one side.

5. Packaging according to claim 1, wherein said cover element (20) is a plastic bag having stabilizing elements arid folding points, wherein said plastic bag is filled with a heat conducting liquid.

6. Packaging according to claim 1, wherein said cover element (20) is a plastic bag having stabilizing elements arid folding points, wherein said plastic bag filled with a liquid providing electromagnetic shielding attributes.

7. Packaging according to claim 1, wherein said cover element (20) is filled with a silicon gel.

8. Packaging according to claim 1, wherein said cover element (20) forms a continuous element.

9. Packaging according to claim 1, wherein the longitudinal axis of said cover element (20) in its non-folded position and the longitudinal axis of multi-planar board in its non-packaged position are 90°

rotated against each other when starting packaging of said planar boards.

10. Packaging according to claim 1 wherein said cover element is filled with shielding foil.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the electrical conductive member includes flexible cables.

12. The method of claim 1 further including for additional circuit boards repeating the placing and folding for each one until at least one side surface of a last one of the additional circuit boards is covered with said cover element.

13. A method to package electrical units comprising:

providing a loosely connected multi-planar electronic circuit board system including a plurality of single planar electronic circuit boards connected to one another by flexible electrically conductive cables and separated from one another by a continuous cover element wherein said continuous cover element is electrically non-conductive;

providing a housing having a lower shell section and an upper shell section;

fitting said system of said planar boards into said bottom shell (80) of said housing;

positioning and clamping of said system in said bottom shell (80) by a self-adapting suspension (100) being part of the bottom shell (80);

closing said housing with said top shell (90);

positioning and clamping of said packaging against said top shell (90) by a self-adapting suspension (100) being part of the top shell when said top shell is self-interlocking with said bottom shell (80).

14. Method according to claim 13, wherein said self-interlocking between top (90) and bottom (80) shell is accomplished by a zigzag-teeth structure (110) being part of contacting surfaces of said bottom and top shell.

15. A method to package electrical units comprising:

providing a plurality of planar electronic circuit boards;

providing a non-electrical conductive cover element;

connecting the plurality of planar electronic circuit boards with an electrical conductive member;

placing a first planar electronic circuit board with its bottom side at a first part of said cover element;

folding said cover element and placing a remaining part of said cover element upon the surface of the top side of said first planar board thereby covering the side surface of the first planar board;

placing a second planar board with its bottom side at said surface of the remaining part of said cover element;

folding said remaining cover element and placing the newly remaining cover element upon the surface of the top side of said second planar board thereby covering the side surface of said second planar board; and

repeating the placing and folding until at least a side surface of a last planar electronic circuit board is covered by said cover element.